Recently, a distinguished group of economists, analysts and advocates issued a letter [1]assessing the payment and delivery system reforms in the Senate’s health care reform bill. This is sort of the deep background detail in the bill that is critical to control health costs and improve care, but tends not to get much media attention.

The group praised the Senate for moving simultaneously on controlling costs and expanding coverage. Changes were praised that reduce overpayments to Medicare private plans, moving towards paying doctors and hospitals for episodes of care instead of for each test and procedure, supporting medical homes for patients, and providing doctors information about what care is most effective and efficient.